Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. The increase in greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere leads to serious consequences such as global warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss. To combat this global crisis, taking concrete steps towards achieving environmental sustainability goals in every sector has become a necessity. The construction sector, with its 39% share of global carbon emissions, is one of the most critical players in this struggle. The ISO 14025 Standard provides an important framework for the transparent reporting and assessment of environmental impacts in this fight.
What is the ISO 14025 Standard?
ISO 14025 is an international standard that aims to present the environmental performance of products in a transparent and measurable way. This standard provides a framework, especially for the creation of documents such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). EPDs prepared in accordance with ISO 14025 enable the assessment and reporting of a product’s environmental impacts throughout its life cycle on a scientific basis.
ISO 14025 and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
The ISO 14025 Standard is based on the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA analyzes all stages of a product’s life cycle (raw material extraction, production, transportation, use, and waste management) to reveal its environmental impacts. ISO 14025 standardizes this process, allowing products to be evaluated in a comparable and reliable manner.
ISO 14025’s Contribution to Sectors
The ISO 14025 Standard can be applied in various sectors with the goal of minimizing environmental impacts. Sectors such as construction, energy, manufacturing, chemistry, and food can develop more sustainable processes by adopting this standard. The sectoral contributions of ISO 14025 are as follows:
- Material Selection: EPDs compliant with ISO 14025 guide the selection of more environmentally friendly materials. For example, carbon emissions can be reduced with materials such as low-carbon cement or recycled plastic.
- Reducing Carbon Footprint: Analyses conducted throughout the life cycle show where the carbon footprint can be reduced and provide a roadmap for manufacturers in this regard.
- Green Building Certifications: ISO 14025 is a fundamental standard in the creation of EPDs to be used in green building certification systems. Systems such as LEED, BREEAM, and Mostadam make assessments based on ISO 14025 compliant EPDs.
- Transparency: One of the most important advantages of ISO 14025 is that it ensures the transparent presentation of environmental information. This transparency allows manufacturers to improve their environmental performance while providing consumers with the opportunity to make informed choices. Thus, it contributes to increasing environmental awareness in society as a whole.
Conclusion
The ISO 14025 Standard is a powerful tool for achieving environmental sustainability goals. By standardizing the process of measuring and reporting the environmental impacts of products throughout their life cycle, it provides a reliable basis for both manufacturers and consumers. Especially in sectors with high carbon emissions such as the construction sector, this standard guides sustainable material selection and environmentally friendly design processes. The adoption of international standards such as ISO 14025 in the fight against climate change plays a critical role in building a greener and more sustainable future.